|
September 2007 Issue
Are there any heroes out there?
|
One of the breakaway
hits for NBC this past year was the science fi ction
drama Heroes. The show tells the story of several people
who thought they were like everyone else until they
woke with incredible abilities. These people soon realize
they have a role in preventing a catastrophe and saving
mankind.
That is the kind of hero
all little boys and girls want to be when they grow
up. What little kid doesn't tie a towel into a would-be
cape around his or her neck and pretend to be someone
with incredible powers like Superman or Wonder Woman;
a superhero prepared to save the world and its inhabitants
from destruction. |
 |
However, in Webster's Dictionary, the word
hero is also defi ned as "a person admired for his/her achievements
and noble qualities" or "one that shows great courage." It
is unlikely that any of us will ever have the capabilities
our favorite comic book heroes possess, but that doesn't mean
that we can't be someone who does incredible, maybe even heroic
things, without the aid of superhuman abilities. That is just
the kind of young people that the church needs as priests
and religious today. When I am interviewing men who are discerning
a vocation to the priesthood, I hope to hear that they desire
to make a difference in our world. I'm not looking for men
who want to achieve world peace single-handedly, but rather
men who want to have a positive effect on the small corner
of the world that they inhabit.
So often we think that only world-famous scientists,
scholars, or celebrities can make great things happen for
people. But, in reality, each of us is impacted daily by the
simple, yet heroic, gestures of ordinary people doing the
extraordinary. The ministry of priests and religious is filled
with countless opportunities to show great courage. Daily
we encounter the pain, sorrow, and diffi culties of those
we serve and are called to offer them hope, healing and help.
Daily we are called to be spiritual leaders who help make
the loving and forgiving face of God a visible reality in
our ever complex world. Daily we stand as examples of faithfulness
to God's promise in the midst of a culture fi lled with broken
souls. Daily we pray to be open to how God changes us, others
and the world around us. Daily we rededicate ourselves to
the church and its traditions, which we desire to hand on
to the next generation of believers.
To be this kind of hero takes a great deal
of courage. That is the kind of men and women the church needs
as priests and religious today. The Few. The Proud. The Called.
- Father Ron Hutchinson is director of priestly
vocations for the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
|
